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ASSESSMENT OF LOCAL ACTION FOR MITIGATING AND ADAPTING TO CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE VARDAR AND SOUTHEAST PLANNING REGIONS Author: Assistant Professor Biljana Puleska, PhD November, 2013 CONTENTS I. Introduction 5 II. Methodology 6 III. Need and Justification of Local Action for CC Management 7 IV. Results from the two questionnaires 8 1. Results of Questionnaire No. 1 8 2. Results of Questionnaire No. 2 11 2.1. Assessment of the General Legal, Strategic and Institutional Framework for Climate Change (CC) at Local and Regional Levels - Formulation of Local Policy on CC, Setting Priorities and Implementation 11 2.2. Assessment of Capacity for Local Action in the Area of Environmental Management 25 2.3. Assessment of Capacity for Local Action in the Area of Energy Efficiency 26 2.4. Assessment of Capacity for Local Action in the Area of Transport 26 2.5. Assessment of Capacity for Local Action in the Area of Crisis Management and Protection 26 2.6 Assessment of Capacity for Local Action in the Area of Physical and Urban Planning - Common Features of the Vardar and Southeast Planning Regions 29 2.7 Assessment of the Level of Good Governance 33 2.7.1. Level of Effectiveness 33 2.7.2. Level of Participation 34 2.7.3. Level of Equality and Non-discrimination 34 2.7.4. Transparency and Accountability 34 V. Results, Conclusions and Recommendations of the Workshops 35 1. Vardar Planning Region Workshop 35 2. Southeast Planning Region Workshop 35 VI. Strategic Concept – The Role of Physical and Urban Planning for Good CC Management 36 1. Using Both Spatial and Urban Planning to Deal with Climate Change 37 2. Spatial and Urban Planning Capacity for Adaptation to CC 38 3. Spatial and Urban Planning Capacity for CC Mitigation - Reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions into the Atmosphere 41 3 4. Legislative Framework in the Republic of Macedonia - Assessment of the Level of Good CC Management through Physical and Urban Planning 42 VII.Conclusions and Recommendations 43 1. Mandate to Plan and Implement CC Policy 43 2. Integration of Climate Change Issues 44 3. Cooperation between Municipalities 45 4. Resources 47 5. Good Governance and Local Action for CC 48 6. Urban Planning 49 7. Collaboration at National and Local Level 52 VIII. Tabular summary: conclusions and priorities, common framework for VPR and SPR 54 1. General CC policy 54 2. Energy 59 3. Transport 59 4. Waste 60 5. Spatial and urban planning 61 6. Crisis management; protection and rescue 62 IX. Results and Conclusions from the Final Event 63 4 I. Introduction onsidering the risks related to climate Change. This project was undertaken as Cchange (CC) and the challenges of part of the regional project ‘Think Globally, taking effective actions to mitigate and Develop Locally’, jointly managed by the adapt to such change, the Republic of UNDP Office in Skopje, the UNDP Regional Macedonia has ratified international Centre in Bratislava and the Network of instruments in the area of CC, i.e. the UN Associations of Local Authorities of South Framework Convention on Climate Change East Europe (NALAS). The goal of the first (UNFCCC) and the Kyoto Protocol. In 2003, phase was to develop a methodology for the Republic of Macedonia submitted assessing CC management. The recom- its initial National Communication mendations and guidelines, as well as the reporting the level of its implementation list of indicators for the assessment of CC of the obligations of the Convention. management contained in the Final Report Macedonia prepared and submitted on the Implementation of Phase I of the its Second National Communication in Project, enabled the performance of a January 2009. The country is currently comprehensive assessment of manage- working on the preparation of the Third ment of local action for CC as Phase II of National Communication. As a country the Project. Phase II is supported by the that is not included in Annex I of the UNDP Good Governance Centre located UNFCCC, the Republic of Macedonia has in Oslo as a project activity of the UNDP no obligation to reduce its greenhouse Office in Skopje within the Project ‘Local gas emissions into the atmosphere. The Action for Inclusive Development - Local Republic of Macedonia is also bound by Development Programme’ and is aimed the Copenhagen Treaty. At the end of at the application of the CC Management January 2010, on the basis of the Action Methodology in the Vardar and Southeast Plan drafted as a part of the Second Planning Regions. The results achieved in National Communication to the UNFCCC, accordance with the Methodology de- Macedonia established reduction targets scribed below are contained in this Report. and a preliminary list of mitigation The assessment aims to answer questions measures (without quantifying the about the capacity of municipalities in the emissions abatement measures). Vardar and Southeast Planning Regions During the second half of 2012, the UNDP to take local action for the management of Office in Skopje conducted the first phase CC. The assessment is made on the basis of the Project for the Assessment of Good of measurable indicators developed within Governance and Local Action for Climate the first phase of the Project. 5 Assessment of local action for mitigating and adapting to climate change in the Vardar and Southeast Planning regions - Questionnaire for Reviewing Rele- II. Methodology vant Documents (plans, strategies and acts) and Responsibilities. Based on The assessment of local capacity for CC the data collected by this Questionnaire, management in the two selected Planning the first deliverable has been prepared, Regions has been conducted in order to i.e. the Inventory of Relevant Docu- determine the situation in the municipalities ments for Local Climate Change Action and to make recommendations for the en- in both Planning Regions. Through a hancement of local capacity to undertake content analysis of the Inventory docu- local CC actions in accordance with CC ments, combined with the answers sub- management practices in the international mitted to Questionnaire 2, the climate community and the EU. The terms of refer- change model and policy has been ence cover the assessment of the capacity determined, as well as the level of inte- of municipalities in both Planning Regions gration of the CC issue in strategic and for CC management and their shared planning documents at local level in the problems. The assessment including the selected Planning Regions. Data was following steps: also obtained on the parties involved in the local CC management process. - Questionnaire for Assessing CC 1. The establishment of a List and Management at Local Level. This collection of relevant data and Questionnaire contains general ques- documents (acts, policies, plans) tions about CC and questions with at national, regional and local levels regard to specific sectoral policies concerning issues of CC management relevant to CC management. Using this in both Planning Regions; Questionnaire, an assessment has been 2. The establishment of a List of performed of the effects of policies relevant national, regional and local related to climate change, and in par- stakeholders and their relevant ticular the effects of actions for mitigat- responsibilities in the CC management ing and adapting to CC in the Planning process applicable for the Vardar and Regions and municipalities, including Southeast Regions; areas suitable for inter-municipal co- 3. The performance of a detailed operation for the purpose of achieving assessment of CC management at good CC management. local level and possible obstacles, as The Questionnaires are based on the well as proposed actions to overcome Methodology for Assessing the Manage- those obstacles. ment of Local Action for CC prepared in the First Phase of the Project (December The Methodology for the implementation of 2012) and treat the management of CC as this comprehensive assessment included a multi-sectoral issue that covers the areas a review of relevant documents (plans, of environment (industrial pollution, waste strategies and acts), visits to municipalities management, water management, ambi- in the two Planning Regions for the purpose ent air quality, nature protection), spatial of conducting interviews and workshops and urban planning, energy, transport, land according within a predetermined time- use and forestry, protection and rescue frame. The assessment data was collected and crisis management, health, and the by having municipal representatives fill out reduction of risk from disasters in efforts questionnaires. Representatives of Local to reduce and adapt to CC. According to Self-Government Units (LGUs) from both the definition used in the methodology, Planning Regions were given two question- good CC management also has to include naires, as follows: improved awareness of knowledge-based management, greater political space for 6 Assessment of local action for mitigating and adapting to climate change in the Vardar and Southeast Planning regions civil society participation and cooperation among all stakeholders. The questions III. Need and were designed to obtain data on the degree Justification of of effectiveness, equality, participation, transparency and accountability in manag- Local Action for CC ing climate change. Given that one of the Management goals is to provide a comparative review of the main features of CC management at lo- cal level in the Vardar and Southeast Plan- Municipalities have an important dual ning Regions and the municipalities within role in tackling climate change. The first them, with an emphasis on the content and of these consists of taking measures to manner of CC management at local level, reduce local greenhouse gas emissions. an identical Questionnaire was used for These measures are considered to pro- both Regions. The questions contained in vide a local share in achieving national the Questionnaires were categorized into targets for emission reduction, but are also logical groups (chapters): (1) Review of directly aimed at the reduction of CC risks relevant documents and competencies and for the local community.

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